


Icarus Is Falling

by ShanleenKinnJaskey



Series: Tell Me Again Why I Feel This Way [1]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: 2p America is a clone, Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, Angst and Feels, Clones, Cyberpunk?, Cyborgs, Darkness, Doctor France, Father Switzerland (cause why not?), Feels, Hurt/Comfort, I Made Myself Cry, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I'm not saying, I've already spoiled the rest, King Russia, Labyrinth - Freeform, Literary References & Allusions, M/M, Minotaur - Freeform, Mythology References, Non-Canon Relationship, POV Monster, Prince America, Princess Ukraine, Servant England, Somewhere, USUK USUK USUK USUK IT'S SO BLOODY PERFECT, Who's the Minotaur?, alfred is in the maze, but I won't tell you, gotta keep something secret, icarus - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-10
Updated: 2015-03-28
Packaged: 2018-03-11 10:50:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 10,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3324773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShanleenKinnJaskey/pseuds/ShanleenKinnJaskey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Icarus is flying too close to the sun<br/>Icarus's life, it has only just begun<br/>This is how it feels to take a fall<br/>Icarus is flying towards an early grave..."<br/>-Bastille, Icarus</p><p>His name has become synonimised with falling.<br/>A flight too close to the sun.<br/>It grew too hot, melting his only support, and then he fell in a trail of burning feathers and scalding wax.<br/>Most assume this was the end of the story.<br/>But what if that boy has something else to tell?</p><p>A Story set in an alternate future where the world is ruled by major empires and their royal families, a cyborg monster stalks the corridors of the Labyrinth where the worst criminals are sent for punishment, and romance sparks between a servant and a Prince.</p><p>More warnings may be added later on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Labyrinth: i'm bleeding out

**Author's Note:**

  * For [theprinceschamberlain](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theprinceschamberlain/gifts), [TheGoliathBeetle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGoliathBeetle/gifts).



> Chapter titles are from the song "Bleeding Out" by Imagine Dragons.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics are from "Human Frailties" by Dawn Under Eclipse.  
> Arcs are from "Immortals" by Fall Out Boys.
> 
> Alfred's clothing is basically cardverse but black. Arthur's is as described.

**_:_ **

**_::_ **

_**I look around to find the source** _

_**Of all this fury** _

_**Our soul is a crystal fragile form** _

_**So easy to corrupt** _

_**I taste your human frailty**_

_**::** _

_**:** _

 

**::arc present: i'm still comparing your past to my future**

Trapped in an endless maze, Arthur tries to understand.

He'd thought that Prince Alfred had loved him, and he's having a hard time reconciling the man he loves with the man who threw him in here.

> _-i hate you_  Alfred said _i never want to see you again-_
> 
> _\- i love you_ he replied _please tell me what has happened to you-_

There is a monster down here in the maze. No one knows what it is, but Arthur has a feeling about it. It's not a good feeling. 

(Arthur's feelings have never been wrong)

(Except about Prince Alfred, a little voice reminds him)

There is an artificial sun down here in this underground maze. It sheds a dismal light upon the labyrinth and the insignificant beings contained within it, but Arthur does not put much stock in it.

> - _you are insignificant_ his prince said _you are merely a lowly servant_ -
> 
> - _why_ the question graced his lips _what have I done to deserve your hatred_ -

Falling. A fall from grace, undeserved.

> _-I love you_ He tried to scream as he was taken away _i thought you loved me too-_

"Tell me, world," he whispers to himself as he edges along a wall, "Why must everything be so artificial?"

Everything is fake, a false cover for a hideous, uncaring world.

Rigid silicon and unbending metal and hard plastic.

The metal walls, the silicon sun, and the plastic face of Alfred as he was taken away.

(Alfred- even the word tasted sweet on his lips)

(Even after his betrayal- How could it possibly still taste so sweet when Alfred had hurt him so badly?)

There is an old story about a Labyrinth, isn't there?

A Story about a fierce monster that ate children. Half bull, half man.

(But still more human than Alfred the last time Arthur saw him)

He would roam the maze, carrying with him a festering soul of hatred and loneliness. No one would ever love him or care for him. The world took away his humanity, and over time he became just what they were calling him:

An It.

There was no longer a heart, an ability to love. Instead there was only a frozen sphere of broken glass and pitted iron, a life devoted to death and revenge.

> _-don't send me down there_ he protested _you know what happens to its victims_ -
> 
> _-i don't care_ his prince said _you deserve it-_
> 
> _-stop saying that_ Arthur cried _you can't mean it-_

That is the curse of the Prince's labyrinth- it turns a person's heart into something dark and artificial. Devoting every waking moment to the search for a way out can turn a person into something devoid of soul, something inhuman.

Arthur stops and lets his inner walls down for only a split second, just long enough for a single tear to fall down his scarred cheek.

> _-i do_ his prince said and turned his back-

Who could have guessed that something that had been so real and beautiful would deteriorate to this?

 

***

 

**::arc past: it might be your wound, but they're my sutures**

When Arthur met Alfred was at the funeral of both their mothers. Old friends since childhood, Queen Alice Jones and her maidservant Amelia Kirkland had died in an attack on the palace.

Arthur Kirkland had only been nineteen years old. Dressed in his nicest clothing (it wasn't much- just a black button-down shirt, faded black slacks, and black leather boots), he first saw the grieving Prince by the mausoleum of their mothers. The young man- merely fifteen years old- had just been handed the responsibility of the entire kingdom and the news of his mother's death in the same day. Arthur felt sorry for the young prince.

As custom dictated, the other mourners left at dusk, leaving behind the two sons of the dead women to finish the vigil through the night. Kneeling at the grave next to the Prince of Great America, Arthur was ashamed to find himself noticing through his grief how handsome the prince was. The setting sun turned the Prince's hair a golden color and his icy blue eyes gained a bright sheen. His tailored black waistcoat fit him perfectly, and the thin chain of gold beads encircling his wrist that signified him as the Heir Apparent shone softly in the sunset.

The ceremony that sent the dead souls to the next life allowed for speaking after an hour, but only whispering. Surprisingly, Prince Alfred was the first to speak. "Arthur," He said, his voice hoarse from crying, "I can't believe she's gone. She was everything to me, the only friend I've ever had. I'm sorry about your mother as well- neither deserved to die like that- but I can't believe-" His voice cracked and he had to stop himself for a minute so he could gather his composure, "-Well, I just can't believe she's gone."

In his haze of grief and other strange, alien feelings burning in his heart, Arthur forgot about protocol and the rules in their high-tech society. He reached over and placed a comforting hand on the Prince's shoulder.

A raw, anguished sob escaped the sobbing man's lips at the touch of another human being. It didn't matter to the Prince that Arthur was the son of a servant, the lowest of the low; it only mattered that Arthur had been the first person to see past the stoic, silently grieving Prince and into the young man who was stuck inside, screaming his heart in the pure anguish that can only be truly experienced when someone you love dies.

Arthur knew what he was going through, could sense that he needed a human connection to keep him from withdrawing from the world, because he was going through the exact same thing himself.

"My Prince-" He started softly, his North Britannian accent showing through, but he was cut off by the Prince.

"Alfred. Just..." Another sob, "Please call me Alfred. I need someone to call me by my name, to remind me that I'm a person outside of my title."

"Yes, Pri-" Arthur cut himself off and tried again. "... _Alfred_." The name tasted so foreign on his tongue, yet so sweet and full of unfinished promises.

They continued whispering through the night, helping each other get through the vigil. Every time Arthur spoke Alfred's name his heart fluttered. _Why?_ He wondered, _I've only just met him. I guess it's kind of nice to finally talk to him after being separated all our lives by our stations and our mothers' wishes, but this feels different...almost special._


	2. Wingless: so if the last thing that i do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics are from "Northern Downpour" by Panic! At the Disco.  
> Arcs are from "I Just Wanna Run" by Downtown Fiction.

_**:** _

_**::** _

_**If all our life is but a dream** _

_**Fantastic posing greed** _

_**Then we should feed our jewelry to the sea** _

_**For diamonds do appear to be** _

_**Just like broken glass to me** _

_**::** _

_**:** _

 

**::arc present: i just want to run, hide it away**

A gamble- a shot in the dark.

Left or right?

Arthur pauses at a fork in the corridors, surveying his options. There isn't much he can base his decision on- he has no information or prior knowledge to refer to.

(Not that established knowledge had helped him in the past)

> - _tell me Artie_ Alfred said, long before he ended up turning on Arthur _have you ever looked up at the sky and thought about how free the stars are-_

He isn't free now. He's more imprisoned than Alfred ever felt.

> - _don't you wish we could fly into the sky_ Alfred asked _and just get away from everything_ -
> 
> - _we'd have to leave Mathieu and Alistair_ Arthur pointed out, naming their respective cousins-
> 
> _-I guess you're right_ Alfred frowned, then smiled _you always are_ -

He can't fly now. If he'd been smart back then, then he might have realized what a foolish dream it had been. Instead, he'd been buoyed by a false sense of love and hope that made his heart soar.

As he turns instinctively to the left and runs down that corridor, reality is quickly setting in.

He is a fool, and he let himself be led into a trap.

He still doesn't understand why Alfred, his beloved prince, sentenced him to the Labyrinth. A punishment reserved for only the worst of criminals, he has no idea what he has done to deserve it.

> - _Alfred_ Arthur said, turning his head to face his prince _why do you love me-_
> 
> _-because you're yourself_ Alfred answered without hesitation _you're smart, hard-working, and not afraid to criticize me when I need it_ -

He hears a grief-ridden muffled sound from around the corner. It sounds strangely sorrowful, almost like the sound of a person crying.

He follows the sound, but he never seems to get all the way there. It keeps moving away, frustrating him to no end. He follows it for hours through the maze, and by the time it finally stops moving he's about ready to give up, a sheen of sweat decorating his forehead.

(He hasn't had this much physical exertion since he moved into Alfred's wing of the palace)

"Hello?" He says, chancing a whisper for the first time since he's entered this dreaded maze that reeks of grief and despair. His voice is slightly raspy from disuse.

The muffled crying stops. "Arthur?" A quiet voice says, surprise obvious in their tone. 

(No. Just...no)

(It was not possible to hear that voice. Just impossible)

> - _Arthur_ Alfred said _i love you. as long as there are stars in the sky i shall love you-_
> 
> _-and i you_ Arthur replied, a rare smile on his face-

"My Prince?" He murmurs in a tone of disbelief.

(Impossible)

Everything is wrong. Since the last time he slept (one, two days?) his beloved had betrayed him, sent him to the Labyrinth, and had now shown up crying and locked away behind a panel in the maze.

(Well, at least his voice is)

 

**::arc present: i'm out here all alone**

Prince Alfred is hunched over. His arms are wrapped around his knees, drawing them up to his chest.

(Broken is what he is)

> - _darkness. pure, unadulterated darkness_ -

He can feel the darkness closing in around him, the walls of the small space he's trapped in suffocating him.

This heroic prince is scared.

His secret?

He's claustrophobic. And afraid of the dark.

(Push it away- push it all away)

(Get rid of the fear)

> - _whisper smiles breaking the darkness of the closet-_
> 
> _-come on out, my prince_ Arthur said, reaching out a reassuring hand _your uncle's gone. it's okay to come out now. I won't let him get to you again-_
> 
> _-golden threads of hope, of a connection, weaving their way into his broken, bitter heart-_

Bittersweet, splintered memories.

Arthur had saved him then, had been the first person besides his abusive uncle to find out about his secret fear.

Arthur had never told a soul and for that Alfred will be forever grateful. He wants to be everyone's hero, to protect them, and how can he do that of he has such petty, irrational fears that incapacitate him so easily? 

(Not totally irrational, his memories remind him)

> _-even after Arthur saved him he was afraid-_
> 
> _-afraid of his uncle, with his eyes that were endless pools of dark, fractured violet-_
> 
> _-even the light of Arthur's soul never truly brightened his lonely days-_

But Arthur can't save him now. Alfred doesn't know where he is, but even that isn't the biggest problem. Before the darkness of this small, horrible room had come, he'd seen something horrifying.

(Don't think about it)

(Don't let the hate grow)

(You're better than that)

A voice echoes into his thoughts. Muffled and quiet, but still unmistakable.

> - _at least not until that day-_
> 
> _-the day of the running and the storms-_

"Arthur?" Alfred chances, the broken, quiet word slipping out. He can't force any other words out- it's as if his words are too full of feelings, of unspoken hope that they will all flood out if he speaks, falling to the ground where they'll burst on the dark, cold floor.

"My Prince?" Arthur's voice says, disbelief evident. The sound is like music to Alfred's ears, a tantalizing symphony of honey and chocolate and everything good in life. A ray of tender hope enters his heart.

(But what if... his heart asks, but what if he's like that **thing**?)

No, he can't be. It's just not possible. If it is then Alfred's heart will splinter and crack and break. Having always been a fragile thing, having the first person who ever truly loved him

(Not because of pity like his mother)

(Not because of wealth like the ladies of the court)

hurt would devastate him. And if this voice he's hearing ends up being false, a dream or a creature like the one he'd seen, then that will end him and his lonely, aching heart.


	3. King Minos: is bring you down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics are from "Animal I Have Become" by Three Days Grace.  
> Arcs are from "Hold Us Together" by Matt Maher.
> 
> Xiao Mei is Taiwan. Why is she Russia's sister, China her son, and Belarus and Ukraine are his daughters, you ask?  
> Um... 'cause plottiness issues, that's why?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Cause I can't do slow build, I'm giving you the first USUK romantic moment earlier than planned.

_**:** _

_**::** _

_**I can't escape this hell** _

_**So many times I've tried** _

_**But I'm still caged inside** _

_**Somebody get me through this nightmare** _

_**I can't control myself** _

_**::** _

_**:** _

 

**::arc past: it's the moment of truth when your heart hits the floor**

King Ivan of the New Russian Empire was a harsh, tough man. Having grown up in Siberia, he'd learned to never show mercy and to use harsh discipline if a child was ever to learn.

He disapproved of what he saw as his late best friend's wife Queen Amelia's lax treatment of her son, Alfred. Most Great American mothers treated their children that way, and he was of the opinion that it groomed children to become weak, complacent future rulers. He sure wasn't raising his daughters Natalya and Irunya and his adopted son Yao (the biological son of his late sister Xiao Mei) that way- firm, Russian discipline was needed.

So when King Ivan received the news of Queen Amelia's death, he immediately packed up his and Irunya's bags and headed to Great Britain. He left the country in Prince Yao's hands with incredibly detailed instructions on what to do and a very explicit description of what would happen if Prince Yao didn't follow his instructions to the letter. Then he left, his always-present small smile on his face and Yao trembling in his boots back at their updated Kremlin.

Then, when he arrived, he instantly stepped into the position as Alfred's guardian. The rest of the world accepted this, although admittedly a bit begrudgingly, as they didn't know what kinds of 'discipline' Ivan had planned for the young Prince.

Ivan had this talent for figuring out people's greatest fears, and as soon as he saw Alfred's face pale slightly at the prospect of going through a tunnel to the next stop on a political tour he knew what he was going to use for his discipline sessions.

The first time Alfred broke the rules was a few days later (merely a week after King Ivan had arrived). Thirteen-year-old Irunya told her father that she'd seen Alfred in the gardens the night before talking with a servant boy and he immediately stormed up to the boy's room, where he was innocently working on his sums, grabbed the boy's arm, and dragged him off down the hallway.

"That hurts, Uncle Ivan," the teenager complained, using the familiar term for Ivan while being dragged along. Ivan could see the slight twist of worry and pain in Alfred's face.

(Good. The boy needed to learn a lesson)

He threw the boy into a closet, slammed the door, and locked the bolt. "Your mother was too flexible with you. That's not the proper way to raise a Prince." He paused, listening to the sound of Alfred's frantic breathing. His lips curved slightly upwards, the cold expression on his face replaced with his normal cruel smile. "You're staying in there until you learn your lesson, boy. No sneaking out after curfew, especially with _servant boys_ , and you're to show proper respect for your superiors. You may be the Heir to a great Empire, maybe even greater than any on Earth, but for now you're only a prince and that means I am superior to you and you will address me as such."

Then King Ivan left. Despite his words, he wasn't planning on returning for a few days even if Alfred changed his attitude and started acting with the necessary deference towards his 'Uncle'. He knew just how effective a punishment like this could be, and exactly how long to draw it out to get maximum impact.

 

**::arc past: and you're on your knees**

Months later Arthur finally found Alfred, who had been stuck in there again. Arthur had been on one of his janitorial rounds when he heard soft crying from inside of a closet. He'd unlocked the closet and opened the door to find the Prince curled up silently in a tear-soaked ball on the floor of the dark, small closet. He immediately guessed what had happened. He'd seen how the Prince had been acting around his uncle lately, and how he'd been avoiding his best friends.

"Come on out, my prince," Arthur said, reaching out a hand to the trembling prince. "You're uncle's gone. It's safe to come out now. I won't let him get to you again."

Alfred pulled himself up using Arthur's arm, his cheeks pale. "Arthur," he whispered, and it broke Arthur's heart to hear how shattered was Alfred's voice, how hauntingly hollow was the look in his eyes. Alfred took a step forward and just collapsed forward into Arthur's warm, cinnamon-smelling arms, seeking the familiar kindness and connection that his best friend provided when the whole world was turning its back on him.

"It's alright, my prince," Arthur replied in a soothing tone, patting Alfred's back. "I'll always be here for you."

"You always are," Alfred murmured into Arthur's shoulder. Although Arthur was four years older than the now sixteen-year-old prince, Alfred was rapidly going taller and more muscular and had already reached Arthur's height.

Arthur's heart clenched at Alfred's words. He would always be there for his best friend- thought Alfred may not have guessed it, Arthur would die for his prince. They shared a bond of tragedy as well as friendship,  and Arthur hoped, with the deepest hope of his heart, to make an even stronger bond with Alfred. It had taken him awhile- the entire year since they'd first met, in fact- but he'd finally admitted his own feelings to himself. It had been the sight of Alfred looking so vulnerable that had made something snap in his brain, and that was when he'd felt something that went beyond friendship. He realized that he would do anything to keep Alfred from hurting like this ever again and that he would do anything to protect him, no matter what the cost.

But he set those feelings aside as he comforted Alfred, pushing them into a deep, dark corner of his heart where he would keep them for another year. He knew he had no chance with Alfred, and their friendship was enough for now.

After all, what more could a mere servant ever get?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just kidding, I guess no romance yet.
> 
> (But definitely a bromance! )


	4. Minotaur: i'll bleed out for you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics are from "Through Glass" by Stone Sour.  
> Arcs are from "Ex-Factor" by Lauryn Hill.  
> Endgame- the final stage of a game such as chess or bridge, when few pieces or cards remain.
> 
> Irunya is Ukraine.
> 
> "bloody stars" is pretty much their way of saying "Holy shit".

_**:** _

_**::** _

_**How do you feel? That is the question** _

_**But I forget you don't expect an easy answer** _

_**When something like a soul becomes initialized** _

_**And folded up like paper dolls and little notes** _

_**You can't expect a bit of hope** _

_**::** _

_**:** _

 

**::arc present: you see i know what we got to do**

There is a monster that haunts the corridors of the Labyrinth. The ultimate punishment for criminals, he is the most feared thing in the world, the dark incarnate.

He is the Maze's horrible Endgame.

 

But you see, he wasn't always the half-man, half-machine monstrosity he is know.

Once he had a soul. He loved people, played music and **felt** things.

> - _warmth against his lips, a pure, innocent love-_
> 
> _-the passionate sounds of a traveling piano player-_
> 
> _-a laugh, as sweet and brittle as sugar_ -

Now his lips are cold, and his ears hear nothing but broken sobs and desperate whispers.

Nothing but despair until people meet their dark end at his cold, metallic hands.

No one lives.

> _-desperate whispers and burning fires-_
> 
> _-a girl with brown hair, bright green eyes, and a pale, ash covered face looked at him, clasping his hand-_
> 
> _-i love_ _you_ Liz said _no matter how far away they take you-_

They're all criminals. No matter how much they beg for mercy, it won't work.

(That's what happens when you have a heart of cold, dark metal and half of what goes through your veins is not hot red blood but rather cold slimy oil)

He has nowhere else to go, to do. He hasn't since they tore Liz away from him and experimented on him, leaving him a husk of metal and flesh. A cyborg with no soul. A wolf in sheep's clothing.

(A modern day Minotaur)

> _-i love you too_ He replied-
> 
> _-his world was crashing down around him, destroying his hopes and burying his dreams-_  

He is something false, something twisted beyond repair. He is no longer considered human, no longer respected and loved.

(Only feared)

He has nothing, no one. He never will again. Liz can't possibly love him now, not with what they've done to him.

(What they've destroyed inside him)

> - _he was wrenched away from her, and his world replaced with darkness-_
> 
> _-the last thing he saw was her bright green eyes-_  

If only he could find where they are hiding Liz- then he can rescue her and they can escape.

If only he could scrub out the metal from inside of him, get rid of the darkness and oil and cold.

Those words pound through his head as he slashes through another criminal, another victim of his sick, warped metal parts and his males soul.

(If only...)

(If only...)

( **If only...** )

There is no music here in a world of shadows and plastic and metal.

 

**::arc present: you let go and i'll let go too**

(Running running running)

(Focus on your breathing)

That's all she does nowadays. It doesn't give Irunya anywhere to go- she's not able to run away- but it does something to take her mind off of Al.

They're engaged now. Her father made the deal a week ago, and that's when she started her new routine.

(Running running running)

(Can't stop now)

She zips up her lightweight running boots and heads out the door. She runs everywhere on the massive palace grounds- across bridges and through tunnels, alongside the bullet train and over the various trails.

She can't escape. She doesn't care about the rumors of the dark, smoke-filled cities outside of the clean ecosphere of the palace they live in, about the whispers of ash-coated towns. Anything that could get her away from Al, thblank façade of a prince, and her father she'll do.

(Running running running)

(Keep going, don't think)

But she knows that she can't escape, so she runs to distract herself. She focuses on putting one step in front of the other, the sound of her heart pounding and her breath quickening and the slap of the rubber soles of her boots on the pavement fills her ears. Her muscles burn a lot at first, but as the days pass the soreness lessens and her body grows leaner and tougher.

She's a princess, but she doesn't care about what people think of her new hobby. She doesn't care if people think her improper because if she's able to forget about Al and King Ivan's evil crimes for even a few minutes then she'll gladly deal with the stares and the whispers.

(Running running running)

(Forget the horror, the pain)

(Forget your father and your horrible fiancée)

(Forget it **all** )

Because she knows the horrifying truth of what happened the night Alfred's friend was sent to the maze, and it's tearing her apart.

 

**::arc past: 'cause no one's hurt me more than you**  

The first time Arthur let his feelings come to the surface was a year later at Alfred's coronation ball. Arthur had to admit the irony- it was just like in the tales they told children, about times long past.

Arthur, like all servants in Prince Alfred's palace, was literate. That combined with the fact that Alfred had given him full access to the Royal Library equaled a wealth of knowledge about what was referred to as Old History- meaning history from the Times Before the Great War. He knew that there was a time in between the story of Cinderella and now during which there weren't Kings of Queens, but rather horrible, corrupt governments run by people who called themselves 'politicians'. Somehow back then people had thought religion and science were separate and that homosexuality was a sin.

Well, thank the spirits that people had remedied those delusions soon enough.

Arthur, of course, would be helping serve the banquet at the ball that night. He was fine with standing on the sidelines- that had always been his job, after all- but he had to admit that there was a small bit of him that wished that he could be there in the crowd of ladies and gentlemen that had come to try and win Prince Alfred's hand in marriage.

He didn't tell Alfred, though. That night he helped his prince into his specially tailored dark blue suit (complete with a jacket with tails) and a simple white mask that covered the top half of the right side of his face like in the book the Phantom of the Opera, which Arthur was reading.

"How do I look, Arthur?" Alfred asked as Arthur moved around his prince, checking for flaws. He straightened Alfred's cravat.

"Dashing, my prince," He said, stepping back to survey his handiwork.

(Just like a prince from a fairy tale, he wanted to add)

"Thanks, Arthur," Alfred said, flashing a large grin at Arthur. Arthur felt his heart flutter unvoluntarily. "I can always count on you to tell the truth."

Arthur's cheeks burned, but Alfred didn't notice. "Of course, my prince," Arthur replied, affixing his signature smirk to his face. In contrast to Alfred, he was wearing the simple servant's uniform. It consisted of cream temperature-controlled pants, a black button-down shirt, and shined black leather shoes.

Arthur tapped his wrist, bringing up the screen that had been installed in the skin (just like with everyone else) and cursed when he saw the time. "Bloody stars, I have to go! I'm supposed to be in the kitchen!" He quickly headed for the door.

"Hey, Artie?"Alfred said.

Arthur stopped in his tracks and turned back around. "Yes, Alfred?" he said a bit impatiently. He loved Alfred, but he really needed to get to the kitchen or they'd dock his pay, which he was sending to his cousins. Alfred had offered to pay for his family but Arthur was too honest (and a bit too proud) to accept Alfred's offer. He said he'd rather work for the money than just have it handed to him- he said it would be more fair that way.

Alfred winked. "You look dashing as well, Arthur," he said.

"Thanks," Arthur said quickly, not giving himself a chance to dwell too deeply on the words, and then headed down to the kitchen. Only after he had shut the door behind him and was halfway down the hallway did he stop and let Alfred's words sink in.

Dear Lord above, did Alfred just f-l-i-r-t with him?

_No_ , he reminded himself quickly, _not possible. Alfred was just joking around as a friend, nothing more._

There were much better options for a beloved than a servant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you notice how she referred to the Prince as Al for most of the story and then switched to Alfred to describe him before Arthur's sentencing? 
> 
> There's a reason for that.
> 
> When do you want me to reveal why Alfred is in the maze and why Arthur's prince sent him to the dungeon?


	5. Daedulus: so i bare my skin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics are from "I'm Still Here" by Johnny Rzeznik.  
> Arcs are from "Collide" by Howie Day.
> 
>  
> 
> NOT DONE YET!

_**:** _

_**::** _

_**Now you know me and I'm not afraid** _

_**And I wanna tell you who I am** _

_**Can you help me be a man?** _

_**They can't break me** _

_**As long as I know who I am** _

_**::** _

_**:** _

 

**::arc past: out of the doubt that fills my mind**

Deep in the Labyrinth there is a criminal who has been sentenced to the final punishment by King Ivan. The charges? Rape. Was there any proof? No.

The man's name was Doctor Francis Bonnefoy.

He did not commit the crime. Rather, King Ivan just wants to get rid of him. After all, he does know a secret that no one else knows- he and a man named Ludwig Beilschmidt had designed the Labyrinth. Ludwig had designed the Labyrinth and Francis had designed the cyborg creature that now lurks in these walls. Francis knows the weaknesses of the maze and the monster that stalks his corridors.

And this, his proudest creation of all, will be his downfall.

> _-the young man looks at him with fearful violet eyes-_
> 
> _-why have you brought me here_ he asked, his voice cracking _what have i done to deserve these experiments-_
> 
> _-a flash of guilt_ -

Francis shakes his head, dismissing the bad memories. He needs to find a way out of here, and remembering the horrible monsters he created in the past is no use to him.

(Remembering what he's done in the past makes him feel like a monster)

> - _you'll help protect the empire from criminals_ Francis replied, trying to ease the young man into his new position _don't you feel a sense of patriotism-_
> 
> _-i can't feel anything_ the young man said, and the hollow look in his eyes struck something deep in Francis's soul _you've made me a heart of metal_ -
> 
> _-i am a monster, Doctor_ -

Francis can hear the sound of heavy, clunking bootsteps coming down the hallway, and he knows what is coming. He knows what he turned the poor musician into, and though the Labyrinth was the creation he is the most proud of, the monster is the one he most regrets.

(He had mangled a poor man's innocent soul, warped his body beyond recognition)

(He'd started out with such good, optimistic intentions- what had happened to him?)

> _-watching as darkness overcomes an innocent soul-_
> 
> _-why did you choose him_ , _Francis_ Matthew asks _why have you done this to an unwilling candidate? i could have done this for you. i could have_ _been your Minotaur-_
> 
> _-don't you understand_ he wanted to reply _i could never give you up, Matthew_ -

Francis is growing old. He knows that his end is coming, and that it has been for a while. He's grown to accept it. He's lived a long life. His first spouse, his beautiful wife Jeanne, had passed away in childbirth when he was only twenty, but she left behind a daughter named Madeline. Madeline had grown up and had graduated secondary school a year early, so at the tender age of seventeen she was in University.

Francis had met Matthew a few years back, a new lab assistant, and they'd soon grown inseparable. Now his only concern as he faced his doom was wondering what would happen to the Canadian man once he was gone.

> _-i'm worried_ Matthew said _the monster is getting worse and worse. he's destroying everyone that gets put in there. what if someone falls in on accident and is slayed?_
> 
> _-i'll stop him first_ Francis replied _he wouldn't dare do anything if his fiancée's life is on the line-_
> 
> _-lavender eyes looking at him in pity-_

A glint of metal as his monster turns the corner. Francis can see the face of his most powerful and most horrifying creation plainly under the light of the silicon sun. The right half of the former musician's face is hard, cold metal while the other half is unblemished tan skin. Violet eyes stare him down, one real and one robotic.

The man's fancy purple coat is gone, leaving behind only loose black clothing. There is no automtic temperature-adjustment woven into their fabrics.The metal plates in his arms, side, and legs coupled with the inner wiring do that job instead.

As Francis looks upon his creation, he does not feel the horror that others do and that he himself did for so long. He feels only pity for a man that was torn away from his home, forced to commit unspeakable deeds for an empire he'd long ago become disillusioned with.

(Dear Lord Jesus, what has Francis done?)

 

**::arc present: i somehow find you and i collide**

Despair crashes down around Arthur as he realizes what has happened. Alfred is locked inside one of the walls, and though they are thick they are not big enough for a grown up man to comfortably be squished into.

(Oh no)

(Alfred's claustrophobic)

Worry floods over Arthur in a wave, and he leans up against the wall panel that Alfred is stuck behind. "Dear Lord, Alfred, I'm so sorry," He whispers. "You must be terrified."

> - _watching Alfred dance with everyone else hurt-_
> 
> _-his heart broke over and over with each passing minute-_

"I'm okay, Artie," Alfred whispers, and Arthur can hear past the false face of confidence he's trying to put up and into the deep-seated terror he's trying to hide. He knows Alfred- they've been together for a long time, both as friends and later as loves. Well, until...

(Don't think about that)

> _-he overheard Alfred telling a girl that he loved her and he lost it-_
> 
> _-he dropped his tray on the table and ran out of the hall, unable to take it anymore-_
> 
> _-tears streamed down his face-_

"Tell me the truth," Arthur whispers. "How are feeling, my prince?"

"It's Alfred, I've told you a million times," Alfred quips weakly. His breathing hitches but then begins to steady. Arthur breathes a sigh of relief despite the circumstances- at least Alfred is slowly calming down and getting over his fears, if only a little, "And honestly, Artie, I'm terrified."

> _-suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder-_
> 
> _-he turned around to find a pair of sky blue eyes centered in a tanned face-_
> 
> _-Artie_ Alfred said _Are you okay_ -

Arthur doesn't say 'It's going to be okay' or 'Don't worry'. Neither of those will make a difference, will be able to help.

Instead he says, "Well, at least I found you, Alfred."

"Yeah, Artie. I love you." Alfred says, his voice full of relief.

A sudden rush of anger flies through Arthur. "You didn't love me when you sent me down here." He knows something is wrong. If Alfred had really sent Arthur down here, then why is he stuck in a wall, his deepest fears preying on him?

> - _No_ he burst out _i'm not okay. i can't stand by and watch you pick a wife or a husband-_
> 
> _-sky blue eyes filled with surprise, and something he couldn't identify-_
> 
> _-suddenly Alfred leaned forward and Arthur found himself being kissed-_

A gasp. "I didn't send you down here!"

Arthur freezes.

(What?)

(How could that be?)

(He'd seen Alfred with his own eyes. Trust him- that memory would never fade from his mind)

"But..." Arthur stammered, "I saw you!"

"It was a clone. I saw him right before I was knocked out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The scene with Francis took place about five years before the original scenes.


	6. Tributes: and i count my sins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics are from "Castle Walls" by T. I.  
> Arcs are from "Someday" by Max Schneider.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Erika is Lichtenstein. 
> 
> Okay, so the time line for the story is this-  
> Day Alfred was kidnapped is Day 1.  
> Replaced with Al, who sentences Arthur to dungeon on Day 2. Arthur is knocked out and stays knocked out for four days.  
> Arthur is placed in maze on Day 6. Their stuff has been happening all on Day 7. Arthur has not slept since he was placed in the maze, and has subsistence on the water bottle and little food that is in his belt.  
> Irunya's scenes started Day 6.

_**:** _

_**::** _

_**Everyone thinks that I have it all** _

_**But it's so empty living behind these castle walls** _

_**These castle walls** _

_**If I should tumble if I should fall** _

_**Would anyone hear me screaming behind these castle walls** _

_**::** _

_**:** _

 

**::arc present: i follow my dreams**

Irunya returns from the palace the next day to find her father gone. He'd been called off for an emergency political visit to the territory of Dakota, and for a few precious days she is free.

She can stop just running, instead beginning to enjoy herself and talk to other women without the constant shadowy presence of her father to deal with.

(But don't forget to watch yourself)

Her training with the New Russian Imperial Secret Service (NRISS for short) keeps her from enjoying it fully, though. She checks over her shoulder constantly, watching for Al.

She hates him and what he represents- her imprisonment in this palace, the loss of her good friends Prince Alfred and Arthur, and her father's evil, twisted, selfish version of what should have been a beneficial science.

(And yet she does nothing)

(She **chooses** to do nothing, rather than risk getting thrown in the maze)

(She's disgusted with her cowardly self)

"Are you okay, Your Highness?" One of her ladies in waiting, Erika Vogel, asks her this with a concerned look in her wide green eyes. Irunya, now that Erika has brought it up, is actually surprised that the blonde, purple-hair-ribbon girl didn't see it sooner. There are so many signs over the past week that she's been troubled- the fact that she's been running practically everyday, that she's been wearing all black (even her headband) instead of her customary white, green, and blue, and that she's been barely touching her food at banquets all week.

She forces a smile onto her face and nods. "Yes, Erika, I'm perfectly well."

(Fake, a patched-together smile of melting plastic and crumbling walls and broken hearts)

(False, no emotion behind it at all)

(Neutral, dispassionate, flat)

She excuses herself to the restroom and soon as she gets in there a shudder passes through her whole body. It's getting so easy to hide her true feelings under a mask of neutrality, to disguise the truth.

She examines herself in the mirror. Purple-blue bruises the skin under her eyes and her short blond hair hangs lanky around her face. Though she puts up the pretense of smiling and acting fine, her lack of sleep is starting to show.

While on the shallower layers she's disgusted by herself (as she should be), deeper down she's horrified. She's losing connections, pulling herself away from people. She runs to avoid people and ends up avoiding everyone, even her friends.

(What is happening?)

(Why is she turning into this thing?)

A horrible thought passes through her head, and she shakes her head to dismiss it. It leaves the forefront of her mind for now but clings at the edges, sticking to the ends of her mind.

(This is exactly what Natalya did right before she went insane)

 

**::arc past: you'd think they were nightmares the way they scream**

The cyborg moved toward his Creator.

 

> _-a flash of pain, of white heat at his wrist-_
> 
> _-stop it please_ He shouted _just stop it-_
> 
> _-a glimpse of cold blue eyes-_

"I'm ready for your punishment." The Creator's voice was broken but firm, far more human than the last time he'd heard it. "I deserve it. I've been waiting for it for a long time."

The blades wired into his knuckles extended automatically, sliding seamlessly out of his flesh and into place with a menacing click. The Creator didn't even flinch- he just kept staring at his creation. Violet eyes met blue and as the cyborg got closer he noticed that the blue had notably softened. That didn't matter, however- a criminal was a criminal and it was his job to exact punishment.

(That's what the Creator had told him after all, right?)

The Creator closes his eyes. "Do it," he says, and the cyborg obliges.

A slash of red against the shadows of a neverending maze.

 

**::arc past: i'll make them believe**

Arthur stepped back first after what felt like an eternity but was probably only a few seconds, breaking off the kiss. "Alfred..." He said, and his voice trailed off before he could finish, he was so overcome by emotion. He took a deep breath and tried again. "What was that?"

"Oh god," Prince Alfred said, his hand flying to his mouth in shock, his cheeks burning red. "I'm so sorry. I thought you- well, I mean... stars, Artie, what I just did is tantamount to rape!"

Arthur got his voice back when he saw how ashamed Alfred was, the look of disgust on his face that he knew was directed at Alfred's own self. "No, it wasn't. I actually...enjoyed it."

Alfred's cheeks, if possible, went even more red. "Oh." Nothing more than that. Just 'oh'. Arthur anxiously watched him as he visibly gathered himself together.

Then- "Well, I love you, Artie."

Those words dissolved every wall he'd built up around his heart over the past two years, and he staggered forward as if he'd been punched in the stomach. Alfred grabbed Arthur's arms, steadying him. Arthur looked up and met Alfred's blue gaze. "Are you okay?" Alfred asked concernedly.

Arthur smiled. It wasn't a smirk like normal, but rather a genuine, happy thing that lit up his eyes in a way Alfred had never seen before. "I'm perfect, Alfred. I'm completely whole for the first time in a **very** long time."


	7. Black Sails: and i close my eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics are from "Superhero" by the Script.  
> Arcs are from "Marching On" by OneRepublic.

_**:** _

_**::** _

_**'Cause he's stronger than you know** _

_**A heart of steel begins to grow** _

_**When you've been fighting for all your life** _

_**You've been struggling to make things right** _

_**That's how a superhero learns to fly**_

_**::** _

_**:** _

 

**::arc present: for those days we felt like a mistake**

It has been five years since he killed the Creator, or at least he thinks that's how long he's gone on without purpose.

It's hard to tell in a maze where the sun's light means nothing and the only thing that marks the passage of time is the random criminal drops.

There hasn't been one in a few days.

(Well, what constitutes a few days)

Then, finally, another criminal is dropped off in the far end of the maze.

His enhanced senses tell him it's a male of European descent. 

> _-a young man looked him in the eye, staring him down-_
> 
> _-blood red eyes, long ago driven insane-_
> 
> _-you're just like me_ the man said _a monster_ -

He slowly makes his way through the corridors, guided by an internal map. The sound of running footsteps does not stop, a crazed dance that every criminal goes through. They always end up stopping, and that's when he gets them.

(He watches as the lights leave their eyes)

This time they stop quicker than normal.

> _-I'm not a monster_  he replied, but his tone was uncertain _i'_ _m not like you-_
> 
> _-a harsh, crazed laugh-_
> 
> _-yes you are_ the insane man replied _your heart does not feel-_

Then he hears talking. If he was capable of emotion he would sigh- just another convict going crazy.

But then he hears the crying, and he recognizes the sound.

(The sound of a heart breaking)

(The sound of being separated from the person you love)

His figurative heart begins to beat again. He feels for the poor man he has not met yet- he knows exactly how the man feels.

That criminal was wrong. He **does** have a heart.

 

**::arc present: those times when love's what you hate**

Heavy bootsteps. Clunk, clunk.

"Alfred, the monster is coming," Arthur says, eyes widening in terror. He pushes himself up off of the maze wall, "I have to go. I'm so sorry."

(He had to leave, to go)

(He has to escape and find a way to save Alfred)

Arthur can hear Alfred's breathing speed up, then get quieter as he tries to slow it down. He can picture Alfred's face in his mind- eyes shut and his face in his hands, trying to block out the terror.

"I'm coming back, Alfred. I promise."

> _-i'm coming back, i promise_ his father says  _it's just a routine royal trip. the king just needs his guards-_
> 
> _-promise?_ he asks, innocent eyes wide-
> 
> - _oh course, poppet_ his father says, ruffling his hair _just save me some of the cook's sunday scones. you know i love them_ -

"Promise?" Alfred asks, not even trying to disguise his vulnerability now. It kills Arthur to hear his prince like this.

(It's not right)

(Alfred is supposed to be the strong one)

> _-the letter came on his arm screen-_
> 
> _-DEAD-_
> 
> _-tears flooded down his cheeks-_
> 
> _-no, it can't be-_

"I swear." Arthur says.

(it can't be like the last time)

(it WON'T be like the last time)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone is wondering, I've make the executive decision that Arthur's father (though TOTALLY NOT CANON) is going to be Switzerland. He's a warrior (which fits in with the whole role as one of the King's guards), and I have the feeling that he'd make a great (though strict) father.


	8. Princess Ariadne: and i take it in

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics are from "We Could Be Heroes" by Alessi and Tove Lo.  
> Arcs are from "Little Lion Man" by Mumford and Sons.
> 
> NOT DONE YET!

_**:** _

_**::** _

_**We go hideaway in daylight** _

_**We go undercover, wait out the sun** _

_**Got a secret side in plain sight** _

_**Where the streets are empty** _

_**That's where we run** _

_**::** _

_**:** _

 

**::arc past: weep for yourself, my man**

Matthew received the news of Doctor Francis's arrest and sentencing and he spent the next three days grieving. Francis had been more than his boss- he'd been his husband.

He didn't tell his cousin, Alfred. It didn't matter in the end- there was nothing the Prince could do to bring Francis back. With no idea of who had orchestrated the false arrest, any alert he could give Alfred would be worthless.

Prince Alfred might even believe the charges, though Matthew shuddered to consider the possibility.

> _-Matthew_ Alfred said _why take this low station job as a lab assistant?_ _why do you want to marry this doctor when you can have anyone of a higher station?_ _-_
> 
> _-you're one to talk_ , Alfred Matthew said _why did you fall in love with Arthur-_
> 
> _-there is no response-_

Now Matthew knows why. It had only been the ordinary Doctor Francis's connection to Matthew that had landed him a job as a designer of the Labyrinth. If only Matthew hadn't insisted on becoming a lab assistant and ended up falling in love with the dashing Francis Bonnefoy, if only he hadn't been such a fool... 

(He'd known that he couldn't protect anyone)

(He'd never be strong enough)

> _-i love you_ Francis said, leaning in to kiss him _my dearest rose-_
> 
> _-sweet, cinnamon-smelling arms encircled his waist at a ball-_
> 
> _-i love you too, Francis_ he replied _-_

Now Francis was dead.

(Gone forever)

> - _How could you choose me when you could have anyone else?_ Matthew asked, staring into the cornflower blue eyes of his beloved-
> 
> _-a soft, white smile-_
> 
> _-you are perfect, my rose_ Francis said as he spun Matthew around _how could there be anyone else-_

A flood of tears.

(Because nothing can be good without Francis)

 

**::arc present: you'll never be what is in your heart**

Al passes her in the hallway later. "Hello, Princess Irunya," He says, and she looks up to see an unfamiliar evil glint in what looks like Alfred's eyes.

She doesn't respond.

(running, running, running)

(Don't listen to his voice)

(An inescapable black hole of a voice that pulls her in)

"What, Princess, now you're not talking to me?" He says, his sinuous voice creeping into her ears and making her skull pound.

Just the sound of his voice is wrong- echoing about in her ears with an unfamiliar clang.

"There's no reason to," Irunya replies, plastering a false smile onto her face, "I shall see you at the next meal, after all."

"You look good in black, You Highness," Al says, a sneer marring the synthetic face of her old friend.

(Shut up, you false copy)

(Alfred would never look like that)

(Alfred would never  _sound_ like that)

"As do you," She replies. Having to say this false compliment brings the taste of bile to her throat. She can feel her feet getting ready to run. She wants to escape, to leave this horrifying copy of a man, but she can't.

(Why?)

(Why won't she leave?)

It's true- Al is handsome in black. She knows that Alfred never wore black except when in grieving (which she never saw him do, only heard about). He preferred to wear blues and whites, accompanied by accents of red. She admits that Alfred is a handsome, charismatic individual- not that she's ever liked him like _that_. He is her best friend, along with Arthur Kirkland. She likes the individual Alfred is when he's with Arthur- Arthur makes him kinder and more generous.

Not that he wasn't already, that is.

But now, well, now  _Al_ had taken the place of her best friend. Al was everything Alfred was not- manipulative, cunning, and sadistic- just like her father.


	9. Theseus: i'm bleeding out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics are from "Nothing Left To Say" by Imagine Dragons.  
> Arcs are from "Letters From The Sky" by Civil Twilight.
> 
>    
> 'Cause this plot twist TOTALLY makes sense.  
> Identity of the Cyborg is finally revealed!  
> (As if you hadn't figured it out already)
> 
> Now I can update the relationship tags 'cause it won't be a spoiler anymore!
> 
> Oh, and to clarify Roderich and Elizabeta were taken by guards six years before the 'present'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember that Arthur enters the maze after waking up five days after he was originally 'convicted'.

**_:_ **

**_::_**

**_Below, my soul_ **

**_I'm feelin' injured_ **

**_Collapsing as it sees the pain_ **

**_If I could only shut it out_ **

**_I've come too far to see the end now_ **

**_::_ **

**_:_ **

 

**::arc present:  one of these days the sky's gonna break**

(running, running, running)

(must save Alfred)

Arthur turns the corner, a new vigor in his step. He has a concrete goal now, a motive pushing him to succeed.

> _-falling, falling, falling-_
> 
> _-suspended in air in the middle of a metal tube, slowly dropping closer and closer to the darkness below-_
> 
> _-a black hole loomed_ -

(He has to escape)

(Escape for Alfred)

But how is he going to do it?

A sense of desperation settles over his mind. Though he has new meaning to his wanderings, he still has no idea of where to go. The walls are still metal façades stained red with the blood of the worst kinds of criminals.

> _-thoughts pounded through his head-_
> 
> _-why was this happening to him-_
> 
> _-how had Alfred's bright blue eyes turned so hateful and insidious_ -

Suddenly he hears nothing but the sound of his own breathing. Alfred's sobs are gone, the clunking sound of the monster's boots has disappeared, and his own footsteps are muffled by the rubber soles of his shoes. Silence is closing in, toying with his mind. If he hadn't found Alfred when he had, then this maze would have eventually driven him insane, with only his own doubting thoughts to keep him company.

An infernal place.

(Who in their right mind could create such a horrifying place like this?)

(Whose mind could possibly fathom such a monstrous way to punish a fellow human being, even a criminal?)

> _-he stopped falling in front of a metal panel-_
> 
> _-the door opened and he floated out the opening, then was deposited on the floor-_
> 
> _-he looked around but couldn't see anything. there was only darkness-_

There has to be a way out. There's no way he can leave Alfred stuck in that wall, his worst fears and memories crowding him in.

Suddenly he hears _that_ sound- the sound of the door to the maze opening. It's distinct, a resounding clang that he will never,  _ever_ forget. It's the sound that represents his worst nightmares.

(the sound of the end of his hopes)

 

**::arc present: and everything will escape and I'll know**

Elizabeta wakes up in the dark. The last thing she remembers is seeing Roderich dragged off by men in dark clothing and metal masks.

(It seems like it was only few minutes ago)

Then the light above her head comes on. She looks around at the dark, dismal world she's locked in and realizes that it has been far longer than a few minutes since she last saw her beloved.

She's in a corridor with dark metallic walls and stone floors. Silence surrounds her, cocooning her. Her breath makes the faintest fog in the air- it's chilly, but not freezing.

And then two sounds reach her at the same time, shattering the perfect quiet. Light footsteps to her right and a heavy, rhythmic clunking to her left.

(She's always had good hearing)

(But that second sound fills her with a deep, primal fear)

> _-a scarred face loomed out at her from the doorway-_
> 
> _-a metal sheen covered half of the face, an eye permanently welded shut-_

She'll never forget that sound. The sound of her brother's footsteps as she walks into their house and her entire world turns on its head, because suddenly her brother has changed. Her brother's brain was damaged in an accident, and he was sent off to a hospital to get fixed.

He'd come back worse.

> - _a clunking sound as she came through the door-_
> 
> _-hello Elizabeta_ Daniel said, his voice flat and dispassionate  _it's been awhile since i saw you last-_
> 
> _-despair and doom crash down around her-_

She needs to find Roderich, wherever he is. What if he suffers the same fate as Daniel?

 


	10. Intertwining Strings: i'm bleeding out for you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics are from "Landscape" by Florence + the Machine.  
> Arcs are from "Calls Me Home" by Sharon Labrie.  
>  
> 
> Episodic chapter...hope it makes sense!
> 
> Wiener Schnitzel- a traditional Austrian food

_**:** _

_**::** _

_**She can't see the landscape anymore** _

_**It's all painted in her grief** _

_**All of her history etched out at her feet** _

_**Now all of the landscape, it's just an empty place** _

_**Acres of longing, mountains of tenderness** _

_**::** _

_**:** _

 

**::arc past:  it’s funny how the walk of life **

A year later, Arthur walked down the corridor from his new room near Alfred's. He was happier than he'd ever been before- they were to be married in three months.

There were going to be some people that opposed their marriage, of course, and that was going to put a damper on the event. After all, Alfred was a Prince, and as soon as he got married he would become a King, while Arthur came from the servant class, the lowest class of all.

Not that Alfred cared, or his cousin Matthew, who Arthur had grown close to in the weeks since Alfred had proposed. Lord Matthew of the Dakotas apparently had some good friends in the servant class as well, but Matthew wasn't giving any specifics.

The official announcement of the engagement was planned for this weekend. Alfred had wanted to announce it immediately, but Arthur had advised on waiting for Alfred's 'Uncle' to arrive on Wednesday- that way they could have a major King as a physical witness to the announcement and that was important no matter how much they hated him.

Arthur couldn't wait for this weekend- he and Alfred could finally announce their love to the world.

 

**::arc past: can take you down without a fight**

Daniel could feel the cold emptiness that was pervading his mind, replacing the emotions he remembered having.

He walked into the house and saw the horrified look on his twin sister's face. He'd never seen such an expression of disgust and terror on her face before. She saw him as a monster, didn't she? Elizabeta, the person he cared about most in the world, saw only the metal encasing his face and arm, the scarring on his face.

"Hello, Elizabeta," He said, but even he could hear the flat tone of his voice, "It's been awhile since I saw you last."

The expression on Elizabeta's face passed in only a second, replaced by a hesitant smile, but the memory would forever be imprinted on the synthetic threads of his brain.

What had happened to turn him into this creature?

 

**::arc present: so many years can leave behind **

The cyborg hears the door to the entrance opening. A few soft footsteps forward, and then they stop.

Then he hears a voice he thought he would never hear again, and everything shatters.

"Roderich?"

> _-notes of affection passed across a middle school class-_
> 
> _-i like you_  one note said _do you want to be my girlfriend_ -
> 
> - _sure. i like you too_  the note said when it was returned-

"Are you there?"

> _-a million charged kisses under the light of the stars-_
> 
> _-the feel of a violin bow under his fingers-_
> 
> _-the comforting smell of his mother's cooking wiener schnitzel-_

"Can you hear me?"

>   _-dancing with her at a village gathering_ -
> 
> _-a violin playing as they waltz, such an old dance but yet so elegant-_
> 
> _-you are so beautiful_ he tells her  _i could stay here all day and paint the masterpiece that is you, write a symphony on your beauty-_

He falls to his knees with a heavy clunk, suddenly overcome by emotions that he hasn't been able to feel in years.

(How could this be?)

(How could she have returned after so long apart?)

 

**::arc present: regretfully until it’s time to realize the moment **

Irunya is tired of being useless.

She stands in front of the entrance to the dungeons. It's a seamless metal wall next to the laundry shoot. There's got to be a way to get in.

(running, running, running)

(she's got to find the entrance)

(the end is coming soon)

But she has to find a way in. It's been seven days since the last time she saw Alfred and Arthur, and all she's done is run away from her problems.

She's sick of herself. She's tired of doing nothing, being nothing but a damsel in distress.

She needs to stop running.

(running, running, running)

(she has to stop)

(she has to find a way out)

She feels along the wall, glancing to each side every few minutes to check for Al or any random servants. She's been lucky for the time being, but any moment now someone could spot her and report her to her father.

Then all of her delicate, fragile plans will fall apart.

(running, running, running)

(she won't let that happen)

(she'll help rescue them)

(they at least deserve that)

 

**::arc present: when you turn around**

A resounding clunk echoes throughout the maze, and they all hear it.

A despondent prince, clinging to the barest threads of hope.

> _-whisper smiles breaking the darkness of the closet-_
> 
> _-come on out, my prince_  Arthur said, reaching out a reassuring hand  _your uncle's gone. it's okay to come out now. I won't let him get to you again-_
> 
> _-golden threads of hope, of a connection, weaving their way into his broken, bitter heart_ -

A doubtful servant, wavering on the edge of hope, overlooking a chasm of despair.

> _-Arthur_  Alfred said  _i love you. as long as there are stars in the sky i shall love you-_
> 
> _-and i you_ Arthur replied, a rare smile on his face-

And a woman, torn away from all that she knows, the last whispers of the name of her beloved still lingering on her tongue.

> _-falling, falling, falling in love-_
> 
> _-inescapable, a warm, soft cocoon slowly encircling her-_
> 
> _-the best thing she had ever felt-_

They all hear the sound that signals the beginning of the end for a monster, a fear they haven't realized they contain within them.

Fear of darkness and enclosed spaces.

Fear of abandonment.

Fear of a monster she's never seen.

(falling away)

(far away)

(GONE)


	11. Pasiphae: when the day has come that I've lost my way around

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics are from "Europa" by Globus.  
> Arcs are from "Everything Ends" by Team Starkid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so sad Spamano. As if we needed more of that.

**_:_ **

**_::_ **

**_Empires built and nations burned,_ **

**_Mass graves remain unturned._ **

**_Descendents of the dispossessed_ **

**_Return with bombs strapped to their chests._ **

**_There's hate for life and death in hate_ **

**_::_ **

**_:_ **

 

**::arc present: you don't know what you're fighting for**

Lovino has never been outside of his room. He was born in this room, or so he has been told, and his meals are delivered every day in a chute. There is no door, merely an array of computers where he monitors everything that goes on in the Empire. The Skyzones, the Upper Cities, the Lower Cities, the Labyrinth- you name it, and he has hacked his way into it.

(he's supposed to- it's what the chip in his brain is for)

He keeps an eye on the rest of the world, monitoring what he's told to and manipulating to cover up things his masters do not want the world knowing.

> - _you let them know_ Master said _you will die, you worthless Downunder-_
> 
> _-a slap across the face from a robot, blinding pain-_
> 
> _-a promise to work harder, anything to get him to stop-_

Lovino had made himself an AI to keep him company. He names it Antonio and programs him with the voice of some Spanish actor from the Third Age, before the Great Wars that tore the world apart.

(Without Antonio he would have gone insane from loneliness)

(He would have gone insane from the atrocities he is forced to witness in the feeds from the Labyrinth)

Antonio is Lovino's only friend, and though Lovino talks down to him, cursing at Antonio and taking out all his anger on him, he knows it makes no difference. Antonio, programmed with the warm, sunny personality opposite to Lovino's vulgar spite, takes care of Lovino anyway, makes him feel like someone cares and that he's not just another replaceable part that keeps the high technology world they live in working.

(and most days Antonio succeeds)

> _-he's not real_ Master said _he can't feel anything-_
> 
> _-yes he is_ Lovino screamed to the invisible voice in the wall _he's as real to me as Arthur is to Prince Alfred-_
> 
> _-a silence descended, and for the first time Lovino escapes without punishment-_

Lovino knows as he looks out onto the most recent developments in the Labyrinth that he had revealed more than he'd meant to the Master. There were some things he'd kept to himself, that he'd never shared with his Master- things that he'd kept to himself like the jewels that sparkle in the pixelated pictures of Prince Alfred's crown on the wall screens.

(It's his fault that Arthur was found out, that Master knew how to destroy Arthur's trust in his prince)

Lovino throws his chair into the wall, screaming, and Antonio patiently waits for him to calm down just like usual. Eventually he grows tired and curls into a ball in the corner of his small room. He knows that what he is witnessing taking place between Alfred and Arthur is a true kind of love, the kind he could never have with Antonio, for two reasons.

(how could someone love a coward like him, who never tried to help others and only ever did anything for himself?)

(And even then, how could someone feel love if any emotion they feel is merely wires and silicon, programming and gigabytes?)

There is nothing true between him and warm, kind Antonio, no matter how hard he wishes for it the truth stands that there is no such thing as love between a computer program and a cowardly genius.

 

**::arc past: what you came here for, feeling all alone**

Arthur rounded the corner, heading toward the Great Hall. Today was the day they would announce the engagement, the day they would tell the world about their love. He was brimming with excitement, a kind of which he hadn't experienced since the first night his prince had kissed him.

He opened the door expecting Alfred to be sitting, ready for luncheon, only to be greeted by the sight of guards planted on either side of a stone-faced version of his lover. Arthur's smile fell away from his face, replaced by a frown.

"Arthur Kirkland," the Prince intoned, "You have been deemed a threat to the Kingship and therefore the Empire. You have been sentenced to the Labyrinth for the High Crime of Treason, though I think you are insignificant. You are merely a lowly servant."

Arthur's mouth threatened to gape open and spew out a flood of retorts, but instead all that graced his lips was "Why? What have I done to deserve your hatred?"

"I hate you," Alfred said, face hard as diamonds and showing about as much warmth, "I never want to see you again."

"I love you," he replied, "Please tell me what has happened to you."

Alfred was silent as the guards walked forward and each grasped one of Arthur's arms.

"Don't send me down there," Arthur protested, "You know what happens to its victims!"

"I don't care," His prince said to his disbelieving face, "You deserve it."

"Stop saying that!" Arthur cried as he was dragged away, "You can't mean it!"

"I do," his prince spat and turned his back, sealing the shocked servant's fate.

"I love you," was the last thing Arthur managed to get out, "I thought you loved me too."

And then everything goes black.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment/ leave kudos if you like it!  
> (Or just leave a comment if you don't. I always appreciate constructive criticism.)
> 
>  
> 
> Should I continue it?


End file.
